Fishing has been a lifelong passion for Alabama charter boat captain Johnny Greene, who is a representative of his state on the Gulf Council. Photo: Ed Lallo/Newsroom Ink
Editors Note:
This article is part of a series of profiles on board members of the Gulf Seafood Institute.
by Ed Lallo/Gulf Seafood News Editor
Fishing has been a lifelong passion for Alabama charter boat captain Johnny Greene. It started at an early age on his grandmother’s small farm pond outside of Andalusia, since then he has been hooked.
The Intimidator is a Coast Guard certified vessel. It can carry a group larger than six people to fish for grouper, blue marlin, dolphin, red snapper and tuna. Photo: Johnny Greene
“After cutting grass and saving my money, I bought my first boat when I was 12. My dad wouldn’t take me to the boat ramp unless I kept my grades up,” explained Greene on how he got into chartering. “I started to take my buddies out fishing. It didn’t take me long to figure that this was something I could do very well; I knew I was meant to go that direction.
Captain Greene started his fishing career working as a deckhand on commercial boat, sometimes cutting bait and never getting fish. “I was paying my dues to earn my right to go,” he said.
Intruder Captain Don Walker introduced him into his future career in the charter fishing industry. After serving as mate for five years, he established FishOrangeBeach.com for his Intimidator Sportfishing in 1996.
“I agreed to buy a boat having a cool pirate theme name, however at the last minute the owner wanted to retain the name,” said the Orange Beach charter captain who got his license at an early age. “At three in the afternoon we were closing the deal at the bank, and my boat didn’t have a name. A guy walked past wearing a Dale Earnhart – Intimidator t-shirt. I thought Intimidator, that’s kind of a boastfully cocky and confident name. So I had my name for the boat.”
Perception Important for Charter Fishing
In the charter fishing industry, perception and boat name has a lot with how potential customers choose their boat.
“Intimidator has worked out well,” Greene said. “It is a great icebreaker with fishermen whom you will spend the day with on the water. Photo: Johnny Greene
“Intimidator has worked out well,” Greene said. “Most of my clientele follows NASCAR and understands the name. It is a great icebreaker with fishermen whom you will spend the day with on the water.
Orange Beach is a laid back, family oriented community that relies on spring and summer tourism, as well as visitors for the little league World Series and NCCA Women’s Soccer Finals it hosts.
Before the oil spill of 2010, Greene relied on a steady repeat corporate clientele from East of the Mississippi River who would spend a day or two on the water. The spill resulted in a loss of clientele, and almost devastated his business. “To stay in business we revised our marketing efforts. We started four to six hour affordable family fishing tours,” he said.
Fishing trips that can range from $1000 for four hours of trolling, to $12,000 for a three-day offshore adventure that includes night fishing near offshore rigs. Photo: Johnny Greene
Today he finds many of his old corporate clientele returning for trips that can range from $1000 for four hours of trolling, to $12,000 for a three-day offshore adventure that includes night fishing near offshore rigs. He has also extended his customer base to Missouri, Kansas, Texas and Oklahoma.
“The Intimidator is a Coast Guard certified vessel. It can carry a group larger than six people to fish for grouper, blue marlin, dolphin, red snapper and tuna,” Greene said describing his pride and joy. “It has satellite TV, icemakers, as well as water-making capacity. The only thing I need is some way to make fuel and I would be self-sufficient.”
Involvement in GSI
For Greene, GSI’s strength lies in the diversity of its members; composed of experts from every region of the Gulf and every industry. He recently spent four days on the Hill meeting with legislators. Photo: Ed Lallo/Newsroom Ink
Greene got involved with the Gulf Seafood Institute, when fellow Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council member Harlon Peace broached the subject of a new organization he was trying to put together.
According to Captain Green, he had reservations on where he would fit in, and how things would go.
“When Harlon reached out to me, he told me he was looking to include a broad base of individuals representing various Gulf interests. I had never been involved in such a deeply diverse organization,” he said.
For Greene, GSI’s strength lies in the diversity of its members; composed of experts from every region of the Gulf and every industry. He’s impressed to find fellow fishing compatriots willing to work together on issues benefitting the great good, without harming any specific organization.
“At the end of the day, we all need to help each other and move forward in advancing the interest of the Gulf of Mexico,” he explained on why he joined GSI.
Addressing Gulf Issues
One program Greene has been instrumental in leading for GSI is of electronic record keeping for the recreational industry.
“My biggest pleasures is seeing kids and their parents fishing together. They are making memories that will be relived in their minds forever,” said Greene with his boat. Photo: Jim Gossen/GSI
“I am a big proponent of any type of electronic logbook or monitoring system,” he said. “Seeing the success the commercial fishing industry has been able to achieve through their program, it certainly seems this is direction the recreational industry should travel.”
The need for electronic records became abundantly clear to Greene in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon spill.
“To me, the recreational side should look outside fisheries applications. When you are exploring electronic monitoring reporting, you have to look deeper into situations like hurricanes or other disasters. Electronic verifiable information is needed and it will stand up within a court of law,” he explained.
One program Greene has been instrumental in leading for GSI is of electronic record keeping for the recreational industry. Photo: Johnny Greene
Another area of concern for the Alabama born fisherman is the Gulf fishery stock assessment process. He sees this as an issue where GSI members can work closely together.
“These fish stock assessments ultimately control the allocation of both recreational and commercial fishermen,” he explained. “The science that comes out of the stock assessments is the end all, be all. It is the ‘Holy Grail‘ that we use to make fishery decisions. Hopefully, through the reauthorization of Magnuson-Stevens, we will be able to make sure these assessments are carried out in more a timely manner, and hopefully try to use funds from the BP spill to have Independent assessments done to compare with the current process and see if there is a better path.
Greene took a hobby and passion, and turned it into a job he has enjoyed for more than 30-years.
“I can still remember my first fishing trip in the Gulf of Mexico with my dad,” said the captain and GSI board member. “One of my biggest pleasures is seeing kids and their parents fishing together. They are making memories that will be relived in their minds forever.”
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